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In this undated photo released by Huawei, Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is seen in a portrait photo. China on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, demanded Canada release the Huawei Technologies executive who was arrested in a case that adds to technology tensions with Washington and threatens to complicate trade talks. (Huawei via AP)

The Latest: British Columbia cancels China trade trip

December 09, 2018 - 12:09 pm

The Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — The Latest on the arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei in Canada (all times local):

12:45 p.m.

A trade mission to China by the Canadian province of British Columbia has been cancelled because of the detention of a top Huawei executive in Canada.

The province says in a statement the decision was made because of the ongoing judicial process involving Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou.

She was arrested last week while changing flights in Vancouver and is awaiting possible extradition to the U.S.

The delegation led by British Columbia Forestry Minister Doug Donaldson will instead end its trip after a visit to Japan.

There are fears China could detain Canadians in retaliation. The Chinese government has warned Canada that if Meng is not released, the country will face "grave consequences."

Meng is spending the weekend in jail before a bail hearing resumes on Monday.

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11:40 p.m.

China has summoned the U.S. ambassador to protest the detention of an executive of electronics giant Huawei in Canada at Washington's behest.

The official Xinhua News Agency says Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng "lodged solemn representations and strong protests" with Ambassador Terry Branstad on Sunday against the detention of Huawei's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, while she was changing planes in Vancouver, Canada, last week. Meng is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran.

Xinhua quoted Le as calling Meng's detention "extremely egregious" and demanded the U.S. vacate an order for her arrest. It quoted Le as calling for the U.S. to "immediately correct its wrong actions" and said it would take further steps based on Washington's response.

The move follows the summoning of Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over Meng's detention and a similar protest.

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11:30 a.m.

A former foreign policy adviser to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Chinese pressure on the Canadian government to release a top executive of Huawei won't work.

In a tweet, Roland Paris says, "Perhaps because the Chinese state controls its judicial system, Beijing sometimes has difficulty understanding or believing that courts can be independent in a rule-of-law country. There's no point in pressuring the Canadian government. Judges will decide."

Paris was responding to reports from Beijing that China's Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had summoned Canadian Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over the holding of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran.

Le called Meng's detention "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warned of "grave consequences" if she is not released.

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9:40 a.m.

China has summoned the Canadian ambassador to protest the detention of a top executive of leading Chinese tech giant Huawei, calling it "unreasonable, unconscionable, and vile in nature" and warning of "grave consequences" if she is not released.

A report by the official Xinhua News Agency carried on the Foreign Ministry's website says Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had called in Ambassador John McCallum on Saturday over the holding of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, who is reportedly suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran.

Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies and has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns. The U.S. has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology.